JPWO2014174622A1 - Dehumidifier - Google Patents

Abstract

The 1st heat exchanger 4, the desiccant block 7, and the 2nd heat exchanger 6 are arrange | positioned in series. In the dehumidifying operation, the first heat exchanger 4 operates as a condenser or a radiator, and the second heat exchanger 6 operates as an evaporator, and the first heat exchanger serves as an evaporator. While operating, the dehumidifying operation in which the second heat exchanger 6 alternately repeats the second operation mode in which it operates as a condenser or a radiator is performed. Then, by controlling the pressure reduction amount in the first operation mode to be smaller than the pressure reduction amount in the second operation mode, the evaporator (the second operation mode is the second operation mode) in each of the first operation mode and the second operation mode. In the heat exchanger 6 and the second operation mode, the amount of dehumidification is increased by making the degree of superheat of the first heat exchanger 4) appropriate.

Description

  The present invention relates to a dehumidifying device.

  Conventionally, there is an example of Patent Document 1 as a dehumidifying device that dehumidifies the inside of a dehumidifying target space by using adsorption / desorption by a desiccant material that adsorbs and desorbs moisture. Patent Document 1 is a technique for performing dehumidification by combining cooling and heating by a heat exchanger of a refrigeration cycle and adsorption / desorption by a desiccant rotor. The air in the dehumidification target space is desorbed from the radiator of the refrigeration cycle and the desiccant rotor. Part, the evaporator of the refrigeration cycle, and the air passage through which the adsorbing part of the desiccant rotor passes.

  The air in the air to be dehumidified taken into this air passage is heated by a radiator, the heated air is humidified by the desorption part of the desiccant rotor, and the humidified air is cooled to below the dew point temperature by an evaporator to cool and dehumidify. The dehumidified air is further dehumidified by the adsorbing part of the desiccant rotor and then returned to the dehumidifying target space. And it is set as the structure which performs a dehumidification driving | operation continuously by rotating a desiccant rotor.

JP 2006-150305 A (summary, FIG. 1)

  In the above conventional apparatus, by combining the adsorption / desorption action of the desiccant material and the cooling and heating action of the refrigeration cycle, it is possible to realize a larger amount of dehumidification than dehumidification using only the refrigeration cycle or only the desiccant material, It is a high-performance dehumidifier. However, on the other hand, there are the following problems.

  Since a desiccant rotor is used, a rotor drive unit is required. In addition, a seal structure that hermetically separates the boundary between the adsorbing part and the desorbing part is necessary so that no air leakage occurs between the adsorbing part and the desorbing part of the desiccant rotor, which increases the size and cost of the device. There was a problem of becoming. In addition, since the air passage configuration returns the air after passing through the desiccant rotor to the desiccant rotor again, the air passage configuration has many bent portions, the pressure loss at the time of conveying the air increases, and the fan power increases. There was a problem that the power consumption of the apparatus increased.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and eliminates the need for a desiccant rotor drive unit and a seal structure at the boundary between the adsorbing unit and the desorbing unit while having a high dehumidifying capacity. It is an object to realize a dehumidifying device that can be simplified and can be made compact and low in cost.

  A dehumidifying device according to the present invention includes a compressor, a flow path switching device, a first heat exchanger, a decompression unit, and a second heat exchanger, which are sequentially connected by a refrigerant pipe, a refrigerant circuit in which refrigerant circulates, and first heat. An exchanger, an air passage in which a desiccant material capable of adsorbing and desorbing moisture and a second heat exchanger are arranged in series, and a blower device that is provided in the air passage and causes the air in the dehumidification target space to flow into the air passage. A first operation mode in which the first heat exchanger operates as a condenser or a radiator and the second heat exchanger operates as an evaporator to desorb moisture held in the desiccant material; The exchanger operates as an evaporator and the second heat exchanger operates as a condenser or a radiator, and the desiccant material has a second operation mode in which moisture is adsorbed from the air passing through the air passage, and the flow path is switched. The first operation mode and the second operation mode are switched alternately by switching the flow path of the device. The dehumidifying operation changing, is performed as pressure reduction amount of the pressure reducing portion of the first operating mode is smaller than the pressure reduction amount of the pressure reducing portion of the second operation mode.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, dehumidification of a high dehumidification amount can be performed by combining the adsorption / desorption effect | action of a desiccant material, and the cooling and heating effect | action by the refrigerating cycle operation | movement of a refrigerant circuit. In addition to this, the first heat exchanger, the desiccant material, and the second heat exchanger are arranged in series, and the first heat exchanger operates as a condenser or a radiator, and the second heat exchange. The first operation mode in which the condenser operates as an evaporator and the moisture held in the desiccant material is desorbed, the first heat exchanger operates as an evaporator, and the second heat exchanger serves as a condenser or a radiator. Since the desiccant material operates and the second operation mode in which moisture is adsorbed from the air passing through the air passage is alternately switched by the channel switching of the channel switching device, dehumidification is performed. Simplification is possible, and a more compact and low-cost device can be obtained. Moreover, since the pressure reduction amount in the pressure reduction part in the first operation mode is less than that in the second operation mode, the dehumidification amount is increased by making the degree of superheat appropriate in each of the first operation mode and the second operation mode. Is possible.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the dehumidification apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is an air wetness diagram which shows the state change of the air at the time of a 1st operation mode. It is an air wetness diagram which shows the state change of the air at the time of a 2nd operation mode. It is a figure which shows the pressure reduction part 5 of FIG. It is a figure which shows the modification of the pressure reduction part of FIG.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a dehumidifying device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In FIG. 1 and each figure to be described later, the same reference numerals denote the same or equivalent parts, which are common throughout the entire specification. Moreover, the form of the component which appears in the whole specification is an illustration to the last, and is not limited to these description.
The dehumidifier 1 includes a compressor 2, a four-way valve 3 that is a flow path switching device, a first heat exchanger 4, a pressure reducing unit 5 that can change the resistance (amount of pressure reduction) to two or more, and a second one. Two heat exchangers 6 are provided, and these are connected in a ring shape with refrigerant pipes to constitute a refrigerant circuit A. The inside of the housing 10 is divided into an air passage chamber 20 and a machine chamber 30. The compressor 2 and the four-way valve 3 are arranged in the machine chamber 30, and the others are arranged in the air passage chamber 20. In addition, a through hole (not shown) is formed in the wall surface 11 partitioning the machine room 30 and the air passage chamber 20, and a refrigerant pipe is passed through the through hole (not shown) to connect each element. Is connected. Moreover, it is good to comprise so that a clearance gap part may be kept airtight so that an airflow may not arise between the machine room 30 and the air channel room 20 through the clearance gap between a through-hole and connection piping.

  The four-way valve 3 can switch the flow path so that the refrigerant flows in the solid line direction or the dotted line direction in FIG. 1, and when switched to the solid line flow path in FIG. 1, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 2 flows. The refrigeration cycle which flows in the order of the four-way valve 3, the first heat exchanger 4, the decompression unit 5 serving as the first resistance (decompression amount), the second heat exchanger 6 and the four-way valve 3 and returns to the compressor 2. Configure. In this configuration, the first heat exchanger 4 operates as a condenser (heat radiator), and the second heat exchanger 6 operates as an evaporator.

On the other hand, when the flow path of the four-way valve 3 is switched to the dotted flow path in FIG. 1, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 2 is transferred to the compressor 2, the four-way valve 3, the second heat exchanger 6, and the second heat exchanger 6. A refrigeration cycle that flows in the order of the pressure reducing unit 5, the first heat exchanger 4, and the four-way valve 3, which has a resistance (pressure reduction amount), and returns to the compressor 2 is configured. In this configuration, the second heat exchanger 6 operates as a condenser (heat radiator), and the first heat exchanger 4 operates as an evaporator. For example, R410A is used as the refrigerant of the dehumidifier 1. The refrigerant is not limited to R410A, and can be applied to other HFC refrigerants, HC refrigerants, natural refrigerants such as CO ₂ and NH 3. When a CO ₂ refrigerant is applied and the high pressure is higher than the critical pressure, the condenser operates as a radiator.

  The first heat exchanger 4 and the second heat exchanger 6 are plate fin tube heat exchangers, and are configured to exchange heat between the refrigerant flowing in the heat transfer tubes and the air flowing around the fins. The decompression unit 5 is an electronic expansion valve whose opening degree is variable and whose resistance (decompression amount) can be changed.

  The air channel chamber 20 has a suction port 20a for introducing air to be dehumidified therein, and an air outlet 20b for discharging the dehumidified air to the outside. In the direction of the white arrow in FIG. Air conveyed by the blower 8 flows. The air passage chamber 20 is configured in a rectangular shape, and the first heat exchanger 4, the desiccant block 7 that is a desiccant material, the second heat exchanger 6, and the blower 8 are arranged in series in the air passage chamber 20. An air path B is formed. Therefore, the air sucked into the air passage B from the suction port 20a is straight in the air passage B in the order of the first heat exchanger 4, the desiccant block 7, which is a desiccant material, the second heat exchanger 6, and the blower 8. After flowing in the shape, the air is exhausted to the outside of the dehumidifier 1 from the air outlet 20b.

  The desiccant block 7 is formed by molding a desiccant material into a solid and rectangular shape, and is made of a material that absorbs and desorbs moisture. For example, zeolite, silica gel, a polymer-based adsorbent, and the like are applied.

  Further, in the air channel chamber 20, a drain pan 40 is disposed below each of the first heat exchanger 4 and the second heat exchanger 6, and drain water generated during operation is dripped from each heat exchanger. ing. The drain water received by the drain pan 40 flows into the drain tank 42 at the lowermost part of the dehumidifier 1 via the water channel 41 shown by the wavy line in FIG.

  The air passage chamber 20 further includes a temperature / humidity sensor 50 that measures the temperature / humidity of the intake air of the dehumidifier 1 (temperature / humidity around the dehumidifier 1).

  Further, in the dehumidifying device 1, a control device 60 for controlling the entire dehumidifying device 1 is provided on the machine room 30 side. The control device 60 is constituted by a microcomputer and includes a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, and the like, and a control program is stored in the ROM. The control device 60 controls the dehumidifying operation described later (switching of the four-way valve 3 according to the detection signal of the temperature / humidity sensor 50), the rotational speed control of the blower 8, the rotational speed control of the compressor 2, and the opening of the decompression unit 5 Various controls such as degree control are performed.

  Next, the dehumidifying operation operation of the dehumidifying device 1 will be described. The dehumidifying operation has a first operation mode and a second operation mode, and is an operation for dehumidifying the air to be dehumidified by switching between the first operation mode and the second operation mode by switching the flow path of the four-way valve 3. Hereinafter, each operation mode will be described in order.

(First operation mode: operation of the refrigeration cycle)
First, the operation in the first operation mode that is a case where the flow path of the four-way valve 3 is switched to the solid line in FIG. 1 will be described. The operation of the refrigeration cycle in the first operation mode is as follows. After the low-pressure gas is sucked in by the compressor 2, it is compressed to become a high-temperature and high-pressure gas. The refrigerant discharged from the compressor 2 flows into the first heat exchanger 4 through the four-way valve 3. The refrigerant flowing into the first heat exchanger 4 dissipates heat to the air flowing through the air passage B, and while the air is heated, the refrigerant itself is cooled and condensed to become a high-pressure liquid refrigerant from the first heat exchanger 4. leak. The liquid refrigerant that has flowed out of the first heat exchanger 4 is decompressed by the decompression unit 5 that has become the first resistance (decompression amount), and becomes a low-pressure two-phase refrigerant. Thereafter, the refrigerant flows into the second heat exchanger 6, absorbs heat from the air flowing through the air passage B, and while the air is cooled, the refrigerant itself is heated and evaporated to become low-pressure gas. Thereafter, the refrigerant is sucked into the compressor 2 through the four-way valve 3.

(First operation mode: Air operation)
Next, the operation of air in the first operation mode will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is an air wetting diagram showing air state changes in the first operation mode, where the vertical axis represents the absolute humidity of the air and the horizontal axis represents the dry bulb temperature of the air. Moreover, the curve of FIG. 2 shows saturated air, and the relative humidity in saturated air is 100%.

  The air around the dehumidifier 1 (FIG. 2, point A) flows into the dehumidifier 1 and is heated by the first heat exchanger 4 to increase the temperature and decrease the relative humidity (point B in FIG. 2). ). Thereafter, air flows into the desiccant block 7, but since the relative humidity of the air is low, the moisture held in the desiccant block 7 is desorbed (released), and the amount of moisture contained in the air increases. On the other hand, desorption heat accompanying desorption is deprived from the air flowing into the desiccant block 7, the temperature of the air is lowered, and the temperature becomes low and high humidity (point C in FIG. 2). Thereafter, the air flows into the second heat exchanger 6 and is cooled. The refrigerant circuit A is operated such that the refrigerant temperature in the second heat exchanger 6 is lower than the dew point temperature of the air, and the air is cooled and dehumidified by the second heat exchanger 6, and the low temperature Thus, the absolute humidity is low (D point in FIG. 2). Thereafter, the air flows into the blower 8 and is exhausted from the air outlet 20b to the outside of the dehumidifier 1.

(Second operation mode: operation of the refrigeration cycle)
Next, the operation in the second operation mode in which the flow path of the four-way valve 3 is switched to the dotted line in FIG. 1 will be described. The operation of the refrigeration cycle in the second operation mode is as follows. After the low-pressure gas is sucked in by the compressor 2, it is compressed to become a high-temperature and high-pressure gas. The refrigerant discharged from the compressor 2 flows into the second heat exchanger 6 through the four-way valve 3. The refrigerant flowing into the second heat exchanger 6 radiates heat to the air flowing through the air passage B, and while the air is heated, the refrigerant itself is cooled and condensed to become a high-pressure liquid refrigerant. Spill from. The liquid refrigerant flowing out of the second heat exchanger 6 is decompressed by the decompression unit 5 whose opening degree is adjusted to the second resistance (decompression amount), and becomes a low-pressure two-phase refrigerant. Thereafter, the refrigerant flows into the first heat exchanger 4, absorbs heat from the air flowing through the air passage B, and while the air is cooled, the refrigerant itself is heated and evaporated to become a low-pressure gas. Thereafter, the refrigerant is sucked into the compressor 2 through the four-way valve 3.

(Second operation mode: air operation)
Next, the operation of air in the second operation mode will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is an air wetting diagram showing the air state change in the second operation mode, where the vertical axis represents the absolute humidity of the air and the horizontal axis represents the dry bulb temperature of the air. Moreover, the curve of FIG. 3 shows saturated air, and the relative humidity in saturated air is 100%.

  The air around the dehumidifying device 1 (point A in FIG. 3) flows into the dehumidifying device 1 and is then cooled by the first heat exchanger 4. Note that the refrigerant circuit A is operated such that the refrigerant temperature in the first heat exchanger 4 is lower than the dew point temperature of the air, and the air is cooled and dehumidified by the first heat exchanger 4 so that the temperature is low. In a high relative humidity state (FIG. 3, point E). Thereafter, air flows into the desiccant block 7, but since the relative humidity of the air is high, moisture is adsorbed by the desiccant block 7, the amount of moisture contained in the air is reduced, and further dehumidified. On the other hand, the air flowing into the desiccant block 7 is heated by the heat of adsorption generated along with the adsorption, and the temperature of the air rises to a high temperature and low humidity state (point F in FIG. 3). Then, air flows into the 2nd heat exchanger 6, is heated, and becomes high temperature (FIG. 3, G point). Thereafter, the air flows into the blower 8 and is exhausted from the air outlet 20b to the outside of the dehumidifier 1.

  Thus, in the first operation mode, dehumidification by adsorption of the desiccant block 7 is performed in addition to dehumidification by cooling with the refrigerant in the first heat exchanger 4. Therefore, as apparent from a comparison between FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the second operation mode can secure a larger amount of dehumidification than the first operation mode, and the main dehumidification with the present dehumidifier 1 is the second dehumidification amount. It will be carried out in the operation mode.

  Moreover, the air (point C in FIG. 2) flowing into the second heat exchanger 6 functioning as an evaporator in the first operation mode and the air flowing into the first heat exchanger 4 functioning as an evaporator in the second operation mode. Comparing the relative humidity at (point A in FIG. 3), the relative humidity at point 2C is higher. For this reason, the resistance (depressurization amount) of the decompression unit 5 necessary for maximizing the dehumidification amount in each operation mode is different in each operation mode. In particular, since the point of FIG. 2C in the first operation mode is high humidity, dehumidification is possible even if the temperature difference between the evaporation temperature and the passing air is small. Therefore, in the first operation mode, it is possible to secure a large amount of dehumidification by reducing the resistance (decompression amount) of the decompression unit 5 than in the second operation mode and increasing the efficiency of the refrigeration cycle. On the other hand, in the second operation mode, the required dehumidification amount is ensured by making the resistance (decompression amount) of the decompression unit 5 larger than in the second operation mode.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the decompression unit of FIG. In FIG. 4, the solid line indicates the refrigerant flow in the first operation mode, and the dotted line indicates the refrigerant flow in the second operation mode.
Here, as described above, the decompression unit 5 is composed of the electronic expansion valve 5a, and the resistance (decompression amount) in the decompression unit 5 is adjusted between the first operation mode and the second operation mode by adjusting the opening of the electronic expansion valve 5a. ). Specifically, when switching from the first operation mode to the second operation mode, the opening degree of the decompression unit 5 is decreased to increase the amount of decompression, and when switching from the second operation mode to the first operation mode. Increases the opening of the decompression unit 5 to reduce the amount of decompression.

  In the dehumidifying apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, the first and second operation modes are alternately repeated. For example, when the second operation mode is continuously performed, the amount of moisture contained in the desiccant block 7 has an upper limit. Therefore, if the operation is performed for a certain time or longer, moisture is not adsorbed on the desiccant block 7 and the dehumidification amount decreases. . Therefore, when the amount of moisture retained in the desiccant block 7 is close to the upper limit, the operation mode is switched to the first operation mode and the operation of releasing moisture from the desiccant block 7 is performed. The first operation mode is carried out for a while, and the operation mode is switched again to the second operation mode when the amount of moisture retained in the desiccant block 7 is appropriately reduced. Thus, by alternately performing the first and second operation modes, the adsorption / desorption action of the desiccant block 7 is sequentially performed, and the effect of increasing the dehumidification amount due to the adsorption / desorption action of the desiccant is maintained.

  As described above, in the first embodiment, the air passage B is configured linearly in configuring the high-performance dehumidifier 1 that combines the desiccant material adsorption / desorption action and the heating / cooling action of the refrigeration cycle. ing. Since the conventional device uses a desiccant rotor, it is necessary to ventilate the adsorbing part and the desorbing part of the desiccant rotor. The pressure loss when doing so was large. On the other hand, in this Embodiment 1, since the air path B was comprised linearly, the pressure loss at the time of conveying air can be made small. Therefore, the power consumption of the blower 8 that conveys air can be reduced correspondingly, and a more efficient device can be obtained.

  Further, the resistance (decompression amount) in the decompression unit 5 is made different between the first operation mode and the second operation mode, and the resistance (decompression amount) in the decompression unit 5 in the first operation mode is changed to the second operation as described above. By making it less than the mode, the refrigeration cycle can be configured so that the dehumidification amount is maximized in each operation mode. Therefore, dehumidification is performed by appropriately setting the superheat degree of the evaporator (the second heat exchanger 6 in the first operation mode and the first heat exchanger 4 in the second operation mode) in each of the first operation mode and the second operation mode. The amount can be increased.

  In a configuration using a conventional desiccant rotor, a motor for rotating the desiccant rotor, a fixing structure thereof, and the like are required, and the apparatus configuration is complicated. On the other hand, in this Embodiment 1, since it is a stationary type, the motor which rotationally drives a desiccant material is unnecessary, and an air path structure is simple. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the size, simplify the device configuration, and achieve a low-cost device.

  Moreover, in this Embodiment 1, the air path B is comprised in the rectangle. For this reason, when each of the 1st heat exchanger 4, the 2nd heat exchanger 6, and the desiccant block 7 mounted in the air path B is made into the rectangular external structure according to the shape of the air path B, a rectangular air path B can be mounted at a higher density.

  That is, since the conventional apparatus uses a desiccant rotor, a circular rotor is disposed in the rectangular air passage B. Therefore, dead spaces are formed at the four corners in the rotor arrangement portion, and the air passage cannot be made compact. On the other hand, in the first embodiment, by using the rectangular desiccant block 7, it can be arranged without dead space, so that high-density mounting is possible. As a result, the air passage B can be made compact (the air passage chamber 20 is compact).

  Moreover, in the conventional apparatus, it is necessary to divide an air path by an adsorption | suction part and a desorption part, and the seal structure which isolate | separates the boundary part of an adsorption | suction part and a desorption part airtightly is needed. On the other hand, in the first embodiment, there is only one air passage B, and by switching the four-way valve 3, the adsorption and desorption of the desiccant block 7 can be switched, so a conventional seal structure is unnecessary. The apparatus configuration can be simplified and the cost can be reduced.

  In addition, when each of the 1st heat exchanger 4, the 2nd heat exchanger 6, and the desiccant block 7 mounted in the air path B is made into the structure where the external shape is a rectangle according to the shape of the air path B as mentioned above. As described above, it is preferable because the effect of downsizing can be obtained, but it is not necessarily limited to a rectangle.

  Further, in the second operation mode of the present embodiment, the air to be conveyed is heated by the second heat exchanger 6 subsequent to dehumidification by the first heat exchanger 4 and dehumidification by the desiccant block 7. Therefore, the blown air of the dehumidifier 1 is in a state where the amount of moisture is low at a high temperature (FIG. 3, point G), and the relative humidity can be set to a low relative humidity of, for example, 20% or less. Such low relative humidity air is air suitable for drying applications, and if this air is directly applied to an object to be dried such as laundry, drying of the object to be dried can be promoted. A higher performance drying function can be realized.

  The blown air in the first operation mode is lower in temperature and humidity than the blown air in the second operation mode. Therefore, when the dehumidifier 1 is used for drying an object to be dried, the second operation mode is used. It is desirable to apply blown air to the object to be dried only when Therefore, in order to cope with such a use, the vane 20b of the dehumidifier 1 is provided with a vane capable of changing the blowing air direction, and the blowing direction in the first operation mode and the blowing direction in the second operation mode are separated. It is good also as a structure which can be adjusted to the direction. And only in the second operation mode, the vane may be adjusted so that the air blown from the air outlet 20b hits the object to be dried. Thereby, drying of the object to be dried can be further promoted, and a high-performance drying function can be achieved. realizable.

  The dehumidifying device of the present invention is not limited to the above-described configuration, and can be variously modified as follows without departing from the gist of the present invention.

(Modification 1: Components of the dehumidifying device 1)
Although FIG. 1 shows a configuration using the four-way valve 3 for switching the refrigerant circuit A, the configuration is not particularly limited to the four-way valve as long as the flow path of the refrigerant circuit A can be switched. May be used. For example, four solenoid valves, which are two-way valves, are used to connect the discharge side and the suction side of the compressor 2 to the first heat exchanger 4, and the discharge side and the suction side of the compressor 2. It is good also as a structure which has arrange | positioned the solenoid valve in the part which connects each and the 1st heat exchanger 4. FIG. And what is necessary is just to implement | achieve the refrigerant circuit A and the refrigerating cycle similar to this Embodiment by opening and closing each solenoid valve.

(Modification 2: Configuration of decompression unit 5)
Although the example which comprised the pressure reduction part 5 by the electronic expansion valve 5a was demonstrated above, various pressure reduction means can be considered about the pressure reduction part 5. FIG.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a modification of the decompression unit of FIG. In FIG. 5, the solid line arrow indicates the refrigerant flow in the first operation mode, and the dotted line arrow indicates the refrigerant flow in the second operation mode.
The decompression unit 5 in FIG. 5A has a configuration in which a first channel 51 and a second channel 52 are connected in parallel. In the first flow path 51, the refrigerant is circulated through the first element 5b composed of a capillary tube or an expansion valve whose opening degree is fixed, and the first element 5b of the first flow path 51 only in the first operation mode. A second element 5c composed of a check valve or a valve that can be opened and closed is arranged in series. Further, in the second flow path 52, a third element 5d constituted by a check valve or a valve that can be opened and closed is arranged.

  With this configuration, in the first operation mode, the refrigerant flows through both the first flow path 51 and the second flow path 52 while being depressurized by the first element 5b and the third element 5d as indicated by solid arrows. . On the other hand, in the second operation mode, as indicated by the dotted arrow, the refrigerant flows only to the second flow path 52 side, and the pressure is reduced by the third element 5d. With this configuration, the resistance (pressure reduction amount) in the first operation mode is smaller than that in the second operation mode.

  The decompression unit 5 in FIG. 5B has a configuration in which a first channel 53 and a second channel 54 are connected in parallel. The first flow path 53 has a first element 5e constituted by a temperature type expansion valve, and a check valve or an open / close valve that allows the refrigerant to flow through the first element 5e of the first flow path 53 only in the first operation mode. A second element 5f composed of possible valves is arranged in series. In addition, the second flow path 54 includes a third element 5g formed of a temperature-type expansion valve, and a check valve that causes the refrigerant to flow through the third element 5g of the second flow path 54 only in the second operation mode. Or the 4th element 5h comprised with the valve which can be opened and closed is arrange | positioned in series.

  In this configuration, the opening degree of the first element (temperature-type expansion valve) 5e of the first flow path 53 is controlled based on the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet of the second heat exchanger 6 serving as an evaporator in the first operation mode. The opening of the third element (temperature expansion valve) 5g of the second flow path 54 is adjusted based on the temperature difference provided at the inlet / outlet of the first heat exchanger 4 serving as an evaporator in the second operation mode. With this configuration, the resistance (decompression amount) in the first operation mode can be made smaller than that in the second operation mode.

  Moreover, although not shown in figure, it is good also as a combination of each of these elements. In any case, the decompression unit 5 may be configured so that the resistance (decompression amount) in the first operation mode is smaller than that in the second operation mode.

  In Embodiment 1 of the present invention, the decompression unit 5 is configured so that the decompression amount in the first operation mode is smaller than that in the second operation mode. However, if the same effect can be obtained, a different index is used as a reference. It ’s good.

For example, the decompression amount is controlled by controlling the decompression unit 5 so that the cross-sectional area (opening degree) of the refrigerant channel when passing through the decompression unit 5 is larger in the first operation mode in the first operation mode and the second operation mode. Since the first operation mode is smaller, the same effect can be obtained.

Further, the same control can be performed by the following controls (1) to (4).
(1) Although not shown, the decompression unit 5 is controlled so that the refrigerant saturation temperature of the second heat exchanger 6 in the first operation mode is higher than the refrigerant saturation temperature of the first heat exchanger 4 in the second operation mode ( In order to increase the saturation temperature, it is necessary to reduce the amount of reduced pressure).
(2) The temperature difference between the suction portion refrigerant temperature of the compressor 2 and the refrigerant saturation temperature of the second heat exchanger 6 in the first operation mode, the suction portion refrigerant temperature of the compressor 2 in the second operation mode, and the second (1) The pressure reducing unit 5 is controlled so that the difference from the temperature difference with the refrigerant saturation temperature of the heat exchanger 4 is small (if the difference between the modes of the suction superheat degree is close, the amount of pressure reduction is reduced by the air flowing into the evaporator. The amount of pressure reduction in the first operation mode in which the enthalpy of the incoming air is high is reduced).
(3) The decompression unit 5 is controlled so that the difference between the discharge temperature of the compressor 2 is small between the first operation mode and the second operation mode (even if the difference between the discharge temperature modes is small) The amount of pressure reduction is determined by the incoming air).
(4) Temperature difference between the refrigerant saturation temperature of the first heat exchanger 4 and the refrigerant temperature at the outlet of the first heat exchanger 4 in the first operation mode, and the refrigerant of the second heat exchanger 6 in the second operation mode The decompression unit 5 is controlled so as to reduce the difference between the saturation temperature and the temperature difference between the refrigerant temperature at the outlet of the second heat exchanger 6 (control so that the difference between the modes of the supercooling degree of the condenser is reduced). In this case, the amount of decompression is determined by the air flowing into the evaporator).

(Modification 3: Operation time in each operation mode)
Each operation time in the first operation mode and the second operation mode may be a predetermined time, but each operation time in each operation mode is appropriate according to the air condition and the operation state of the dehumidifier 1. There is a value. Therefore, the operation time of each operation mode may be determined based on the air condition and the operation state of the dehumidifier 1 so that the operation can be performed with the appropriate value.

  In the first operation mode, moisture is released from the desiccant block 7, so that an appropriate amount of moisture is released from the desiccant block 7 and the time required for the amount of water remaining in the desiccant block 7 to be an appropriate amount is an appropriate value. It becomes. When the first operation mode is ended and the second operation mode is switched to the desiccant block 7 with a larger amount of water remaining than the appropriate amount, the amount of water that can be adsorbed by the desiccant block 7 in the second operation mode is suppressed. The amount of dehumidification in the second operation mode is reduced. On the other hand, if the first operation mode is made too long, the state in which moisture can hardly be desorbed from the desiccant block 7 will continue in the latter half of the first operation mode, and the second dehumidifying amount is higher than that in the first operation mode. Switching to operation mode is slow. Therefore, also in this case, the total amount of dehumidification is reduced.

  In the second operation mode, since moisture is adsorbed on the desiccant block 7, the time for which the amount of adsorbed moisture on the desiccant block 7 is an appropriate amount is an appropriate value. Even though there is still room for adsorption by the desiccant block 7, when the operation is switched to the first operation mode, the operation time of the second operation mode with a high dehumidification amount is shorter than the first operation mode, The amount of dehumidification is reduced when viewed. On the other hand, if the second operation mode is set too long, the desiccant block 7 cannot continue to be adsorbed in the second half of the second operation mode, and the dehumidification amount is reduced in this case as well.

  The change in the amount of moisture retained in the desiccant block 7 is determined by the relative humidity of the air flowing into the desiccant block 7. When air with a high relative humidity flows in, the moisture in the desiccant block 7 is difficult to be released, and conversely, the moisture adsorption amount is Become more. When air having a low relative humidity flows into the desiccant block 7, the moisture in the desiccant block 7 is easily released, and the moisture adsorption amount is reduced.

  Based on the above points, the operation time of each operation mode may be determined by the following method 1 or method 2. By the way, during the dehumidifying operation, the first operation mode and the second operation mode are set as one cycle, and this cycle is repeated. However, the time of one cycle (that is, the operation time of the first operation mode and the operation time of the second operation mode) The total time) is always the same. Therefore, in the determination method described below, the time distribution of each of the first operation mode and the second operation mode within one cycle is determined. Each operation time is determined at the start of the dehumidifying operation. Hereinafter, each determination pattern will be described in order.

(Determination method 1)
The relative humidity of the intake air is obtained from the state of the intake air obtained by the temperature / humidity sensor 50, and the operation time of each operation mode is determined according to the relative humidity. This will be specifically described below.

  Standard operation for each operation mode that can determine the relative humidity (hereinafter referred to as “reference relative humidity”) as a reference for the intake air, and can achieve a high dehumidification amount when the intake air of the reference relative humidity passes through the air passage B. Time is obtained in advance by experiments, simulations, or the like. Then, depending on the magnitude relationship between the actual relative humidity of the intake air and the reference relative humidity, the operation time for each operation mode is determined by appropriately increasing or decreasing the reference operation time for each operation mode as described below. To do.

  When the relative humidity of the actual intake air is obtained from the state of the intake air obtained by the temperature / humidity sensor 50 at the start of the dehumidifying operation, and the relative humidity is higher than the preset relative humidity, the desiccant block in the first operation mode The amount of moisture released from 7 is less than the amount of moisture released when the relative humidity is the reference relative humidity, and the amount of moisture adsorbed by the desiccant block 7 in the second operation mode is the same as when the relative humidity is the reference relative humidity. More than the amount of moisture adsorption. Therefore, when the actual relative humidity of the intake air is higher than the reference relative humidity, the operation time in the first operation mode is made longer than the reference operation time corresponding to the first operation mode, and conversely, the operation time in the second operation mode is set to be longer. Shorter than the reference operation time corresponding to the second operation mode.

  On the other hand, when the relative humidity of the actual intake air is lower than the reference relative humidity, the amount of moisture released from the desiccant block 7 in the first operation mode is greater than the amount of moisture released when the relative humidity is the reference relative humidity. In addition, the moisture adsorption amount of the desiccant block 7 in the second operation mode is smaller than the moisture adsorption amount when the relative humidity is the reference relative humidity. Therefore, when the actual relative humidity of the intake air is lower than the reference relative humidity, the operation time in the first operation mode is made shorter than the reference operation time corresponding to the first operation mode, and conversely, the operation time in the second operation mode is reduced. It is longer than the reference operation time corresponding to the second operation mode.

  By adjusting the operation time in each operation mode in this way, it becomes possible to appropriately adjust the moisture retention amount of the desiccant block 7, and it is always highly dehumidified regardless of the state of the intake air. Quantity can be realized. If the actual relative humidity of the intake air is the same as the reference relative humidity, it is a matter of course that the operation may be performed with a reference operation time corresponding to each operation mode.

(Determination method 2)
Each operation time of each operation mode is determined according to the operation state of the refrigerant circuit A at the start of the dehumidifying operation. This will be specifically described below.

  The operating state of the refrigerant circuit A varies depending on the state of the intake air. Specifically, when the relative humidity of the intake air is high, the humidity difference between the air before and after passing through the heat exchanger that serves as an evaporator in each operation mode is larger than when the relative humidity of the intake air is low. . That is, since heat exchange between the refrigerant and air in the evaporator is promoted, an operation in which the low-pressure pressure of the refrigeration cycle is increased accordingly. On the contrary, when the relative humidity of the intake air is low, heat exchange between the refrigerant and the air in the evaporator is suppressed, so that the low pressure of the refrigeration cycle is reduced.

  Since the relationship between the low pressure of the refrigeration cycle and the relative humidity of the intake air is as described above, by applying this relationship to the determination method 1 described above, the first and second values are determined according to the low pressure of the refrigeration cycle. The operation time of each operation mode can be determined. In addition, since the high pressure increases with the increase in the low pressure of the refrigeration cycle, the operation time for each of the first operation mode and the second operation mode is determined according to the low pressure or the high pressure of the refrigeration cycle. it can.

  That is, when the dehumidifying operation is started, the low pressure (or high pressure) of the refrigeration cycle is measured, and the measured low pressure value (or measured high pressure value) obtained by measurement and the predetermined low pressure reference value (or high pressure reference value). When the measured low pressure value (or measured high pressure value) is higher than the low pressure reference value (or high pressure reference value), it is determined that the relative humidity of the intake air is high. The operation time in the operation mode is made longer than the reference operation time, and conversely, the operation time in the second operation mode is made shorter than the reference operation time.

  On the other hand, when the measured low pressure value (or measured high pressure value) is lower than the low pressure reference value (or high pressure reference value), it is determined that the relative humidity of the intake air is low. The operation time is made shorter than the reference operation time, and conversely, the operation time in the second operation mode is made longer than the reference operation time.

  The low pressure and high pressure may be measured by providing a pressure sensor in the low pressure part or high pressure part of the refrigeration cycle, or the refrigerant temperature of each heat exchanger that becomes a gas-liquid two-phase part in the refrigeration cycle. May be measured and a low pressure may be estimated from the temperature.

  As described above, the water retention amount of the desiccant block 7 can be appropriately adjusted by the low pressure and high pressure of the refrigeration cycle as in the determination method 1 (method based on the information on the intake air). A high dehumidification amount can always be realized regardless of the state of the intake air.

(Operation switching during frost formation)
By the way, when suction air is low temperature, if 2nd operation mode is implemented, in the 1st heat exchanger 4, low temperature air will be cooled. Therefore, when the temperature of the fin surface of the first heat exchanger 4 is 0 ° C. or less, frost formation occurs on the fin surface. If the operation is continued as it is, frosting grows and the air flow path between the fins is blocked. As a result, the amount of blown air is reduced, and the dehumidifier 1 cannot be properly operated.

  Therefore, in the second operation mode, when it is estimated that frost formation has occurred in the first heat exchanger 4 due to the operation state of the refrigerant circuit A, before the end of the preset operation time (or the determination method described above) 1 or before the end of the operation time determined by the determination method 2), the second operation mode may be ended and switched to the first operation mode. In the first operation mode, since the first heat exchanger 4 operates as a condenser, the refrigerant is at high pressure and high temperature, so that frost can be heated and melted.

  The frost formation state can be determined by the low pressure of the refrigeration cycle. For example, when the low pressure is lower than a predetermined value during the operation in the second operation mode, the fins of the first heat exchanger 4 are It is determined that the state where the surface temperature is 0 ° C. or lower continues for a long time and frost formation has progressed. In this case, as described above, the second operation mode is terminated and switched to the first operation mode. Note that the low pressure measurement method is similar to the above-described means, in which a pressure sensor is provided in the low pressure part of the refrigeration cycle, or the refrigerant temperature of the first heat exchanger 4 that becomes a gas-liquid two-phase part at low pressure may be measured. .

  In addition, determination of a frost state is not restricted to said method, When the fin surface temperature itself of the 1st heat exchanger 4 is measured and this temperature is 0 degreeC or less and it continues driving | operating for a fixed time or more, You may judge.

  As described above, when the frosting state is determined in the second operation mode, switching to the first operation mode eliminates the operation while the frosting state proceeds, and the dehumidification amount decreases due to the decrease in the air flow rate. Thus, the dehumidifying device 1 with higher reliability can be realized.

As the refrigerant of the dehumidifying device 1, as described above, other HFC refrigerants, HC refrigerants, natural refrigerants such as CO ₂ and NH 3 can be applied in addition to R410A. As a refrigerant of the dehumidifier 1, R32 having a gas specific heat ratio higher than that of R410A may be used in addition to these refrigerants. When R32 is used as a refrigerant, the heating capacity when the refrigerant is used as a hot gas for defrosting can be increased, and frost generated in the first heat exchanger 4 or the second heat exchanger 6 can be increased. Ice can be melted early. Note that the above effects are not only obtained when R32 is used as a refrigerant. For example, even when a mixed refrigerant of R32 and HFO123yf having a higher gas specific heat ratio than R410A is used, the refrigerant is similarly heated. Heating capacity when used as gas can be increased, and frost and ice generated in the first heat exchanger 4 or the second heat exchanger 6 can be melted at an early stage.

  In addition, when R32 is used as a refrigerant, defrosting at the time of frosting can be terminated early, so that the desorption reaction of air flowing into the desiccant block 7 in the first operation mode can be started early. Therefore, since the time rate at which the dehumidification amount increases can be increased, the operation time required to reach the target dehumidification amount is shortened, and energy saving is possible.

  In the above embodiment, the relative humidity of the intake air is determined from the state of the intake air obtained by the temperature / humidity sensor 50. However, other sensing means may be used as long as the apparatus can estimate the relative humidity. Good. For example, it is possible to take a measure such as estimating relative humidity from a sensor that directly measures relative humidity or a sensor that measures dew point temperature. The temperature / humidity sensor 50 functions as the state detection device of the present invention. Moreover, the detection sensor used for the measurement of the low pressure or the high pressure corresponds to the state detection device of the present invention as described above.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Dehumidifier, 2 Compressor, 3 Four way valve, 4 1st heat exchanger, 5 Pressure reduction part, 5a Electronic expansion valve, 5b 1st element, 5c 2nd element, 5d 3rd element, 5e 1st element, 5f 1st 2 element, 5g 3rd element, 5h 4th element, 6 2nd heat exchanger, 7 desiccant block, 8 blower, 10 housing, 11 wall surface, 20 air passage chamber, 20a inlet (suction outlet), 20b blower Outlet (suction outlet), 30 machine room, 40 drain pan, 41 water channel, 42 drain tank, 50 temperature / humidity sensor, 51 first channel, 52 second channel, 53 first channel, 54 second channel, 60 Control device, A refrigerant circuit, B air path.

Claims (11)

A refrigerant circuit in which a compressor, a flow path switching device, a first heat exchanger, a decompression unit, and a second heat exchanger are sequentially connected by a refrigerant pipe and the refrigerant circulates;
An air path in which the first heat exchanger, a desiccant material capable of adsorbing and desorbing moisture, and the second heat exchanger are arranged in series;
A blower provided in the air passage, and flowing air in the dehumidification target space into the air passage;
A first operation mode in which the first heat exchanger operates as a condenser or a radiator, the second heat exchanger operates as an evaporator, and desorbs moisture held in the desiccant material; 1 heat exchanger operates as an evaporator and the second heat exchanger operates as a condenser or a radiator, and the desiccant material has a second operation mode in which moisture is adsorbed from air passing through the air passage. And dehumidifying operation in which the first operation mode and the second operation mode are alternately switched by the channel switching of the channel switching device.
The dehumidifying device, wherein the depressurization amount of the decompression unit in the first operation mode is made smaller than the decompression amount of the decompression unit in the second operation mode. The dehumidifying device according to claim 1, wherein the decompression unit is an electronic expansion valve whose amount of decompression is variable. The decompression unit is
Having a configuration in which the first flow path and the second flow path are connected in parallel;
In the first flow path, a refrigerant is passed through the first element of the first flow path only in the case of the first element constituted by a capillary tube or an expansion valve whose opening degree is fixed, and the first operation mode. A second element composed of a check valve or a valve that can be opened and closed is arranged in series,
The dehumidifier according to claim 1, wherein a third element including a check valve or a valve that can be opened and closed is disposed in the second flow path. The decompression unit is
Having a configuration in which the first flow path and the second flow path are connected in parallel;
A check valve or an open / close valve that circulates refrigerant through the first element of the first flow path in the first flow path and the first element of the first flow path only in the first operation mode is provided in the first flow path. A second element composed of possible valves is arranged in series,
A check valve or an open / close valve that allows a refrigerant to flow through the third element of the second flow path and the third element of the second flow path only in the second operation mode in the second flow path. The dehumidifying device according to claim 1, wherein a fourth element constituted by a valve capable of operating is arranged in series. The dehumidifier according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the refrigerant is a refrigerant having a gas specific heat ratio higher than that of R410A. A state detection device that detects a state of the intake air sucked into the air passage from the dehumidification target space;
The operation time of each of the first operation mode and the second operation mode is determined based on a state detected by the state detection device. The dehumidifying device described. The state detection device is a device for detecting relative humidity,
Preliminarily set a reference operation time for each of the operation modes when the relative humidity of the intake air is a preset reference relative humidity,
When the relative humidity of the intake air detected by the state detection device at the start of the dehumidifying operation is higher than the reference relative humidity, the operation time of the first operation mode is longer than the reference operation time corresponding to the first operation mode. And setting the operation time of the second operation mode shorter than the reference operation time corresponding to the second operation mode,
When the relative humidity of the intake air detected by the state detection device at the start of the dehumidifying operation is lower than the reference relative humidity, the operation time of the first operation mode is set to the reference operation time corresponding to the first operation mode. The dehumidifying device according to claim 6, wherein the dehumidifying device is set to be shorter and the operation time in the second operation mode is set to be longer than a reference operation time corresponding to the second operation mode. A state detection device for detecting an operation state of the refrigerant circuit;
The operation time of each of the first operation mode and the second operation mode is determined based on a state detected by the state detection device. The dehumidifying device described. The state detection device is a device for detecting a low pressure or a high pressure of the refrigerant circuit,
When the low pressure or high pressure detected by the state detection device at the start of the dehumidifying operation is higher than a predetermined low pressure reference value or high pressure reference value, the operation time of the first operation mode is set as the first operation mode. And setting the operation time for the second operation mode to be shorter than the reference operation time for the second operation mode.
When the low pressure or high pressure detected by the state detection device at the start of the dehumidifying operation is lower than a predetermined low pressure reference value or high pressure reference value, the operation time of the first operation mode is set as the first operation mode. The dehumidifying device according to claim 8, wherein the dehumidifying device is set to be shorter than the corresponding reference operation time, and the operation time in the second operation mode is set to be longer than the reference operation time corresponding to the second operation mode. The dehumidifying device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first operation mode and the second operation mode are switched every preset time. A frost detection device for detecting frost formation in the first heat exchanger;
When the frost detection is detected by the frost detection device during the second operation mode, the operation mode is switched to the first operation mode even before the end of the operation time of the second operation mode. The dehumidification apparatus as described in any one of Claims 1-10.

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